Yeominrak is a court song composed by Sejong the Great (1418-1450) during the Joseon Dynasty

Joseon Dynasty

Joseon , was a Korean state founded by Taejo Yi Seong-gye that lasted for approximately five centuries. It was founded in the aftermath of the overthrow of the Goryeo at what is today the city of Kaesong. Early on, Korea was retitled and the capital was relocated to modern-day Seoul...

 period in Korea

Korea

Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...

.

Origins

Yeominrak, which means Enjoyment with the People, was created based on Korean court music that the king shared to his people to be enjoyed together. This song was created during his 29th year of reign (1447) and actually had lyrics from the Yongbi Eocheonga

Yongbi eocheonga

Yongbieocheonga literally means Songs of the Dragons Flying to Heaven and was the first work written in hangul. It was compiled during the reign of Sejong the Great as an official recognition of the Joseon dynasty and its ancestral heritage as the forerunners of Joseon...

, but only the melodic component is existent today. It is usually played on Hangul Day

Hangul Day

Hangul Day — also called Hangul Proclamation Day or Korean Alphabet Day — is a Korean national commemorative day marking the invention and the proclamation of hangul , the native alphabet of the Korean language, by King Sejong the Great. It is observed on October 9 in South Korea and on...

 in South Korea to celebrate the promulgation of Hangul by King Sejong, and also in religious services for the Ancestral Shrine of the Royal family, honoring the Royal Court, and for the Civil and Military authorities.

See also

• Korean court music
  Korean court music
  Korean court music refers to the music developed in the Joseon Dynasty . Very little is known about the court music of earlier Korean kingdoms and dynasties.It was partly modeled on the court music of China, known as yayue...
  
  
• Korean music
  Korean music
  Traditional Korean music includes both the folk, vocal, religious and ritual music styles of the Korean people. Korean music, along with arts, painting, and sculpture has been practiced since prehistoric times....
  
  
• Korean culture
• Jeongak
  Jeongak
  Jeongak is that category of Korean music which is considered classical, as distinct from minsogak which is folk music. The category has traditionally been associated with the upper classes....
  
  
• Aak
  Aak
  Aak is a genre of Korean court music. It is an imported form of Chinese ritual music. Aak is often labeled as "elegant music" in contrast with other traditional Korean music...
  
  
• Hyangak
  Hyangak
  Hyangak, literally "village music," is a traditional form of Korean court music with origins in the Three Kingdoms period . It is often accompanied by traditional folk dances of Korea, known as hyangak jeongjae...